Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S. (2024)

FAQs

Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S.? ›

The key finding: Retirees can get the biggest bang for their buck in Mississippi, where the combined cost of food, utilities, housing, health care and other essentials is $44,000 per year. Saving of $1 million in the state would last you nearly 23 years, the personal finance site said.

For instance, in California, an average retiree requires approximately $100,965 to lead a comfortable life, whereas in Kansas, that figure is just above $63,000. Retirees in certain states can enjoy between 15 and 16 years of life if they save one million dollars.

However, not a huge percentage of retirees end up having that much money. In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings.

Southern and Midwestern states are best for retirees looking to make their money last, according to a Jan. 5 analysis from GoBankingRates.

Historically, the stock market has an average annual rate of return between 10–12%. So if your $1 million is invested in good growth stock mutual funds, that means you could potentially live off of $100,000 to $120,000 each year without ever touching your one-million-dollar goose. But let's be even more conservative.

$1 million lasted the least amount of time in Hawaii at just 10.3 years, followed by Massachusetts at 12.8 years. California took third at 13.8 years. Funds lasted the longest in Mississippi at 22.7 years, with Oklahoma close behind at 22.1 years.

Among the 47 million households headed by someone age 60 or older, 7% had household investable assets of at least $2 million, Drinkwater said. Only 6% of the 89 million households in the U.S. headed by someone 40 to 85 years old has that amount, Drinkwater said.

Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million. Therefore, about 2% of the population possesses enough wealth to meet the current definition of being rich.

The Bottom Line

How much does the average 70-year-old have in savings? Just shy of $500,000, according to the Federal Reserve. The better question, however, may be whether that's enough for a 70-year-old to live on in retirement so that you can align your budget accordingly.

Can a couple retire on $1 million dollars? ›

How long will $1 million in retirement savings last? In more than 20 U.S. states, a million-dollar nest egg can cover retirees' living expenses for at least 20 years, a new analysis shows. It's worth noting that most Americans are nowhere near having that much money socked away.

Florida, Colorado and Virginia top the list of the best places to retire in the U.S. in 2024, according to a new survey from WalletHub. The study compared the 50 states across 46 key indicators, from tax rates and the cost of living to access to quality medical care and fun activities.

The Federal Reserve's most recent data reveals that the average American has $65,000 in retirement savings. By their retirement age, the average is estimated to be $255,200.

The 4% rule suggests that a $1.5 million portfolio will provide for at least 30 years approximately $60,000 a year before taxes for you to live on in retirement. If you take more than this from your nest egg, it may run short; if you take less or your investments earn more, it may provide somewhat more income.

Living off interest is a great goal for retirement, but it's not the only way to cover your golden years. Saving millions to live off interest alone isn't feasible for many Americans, but you can still grow a large enough nest egg to enjoy your golden years.

Vanguard, the investment management company, defines $1 million in investments as high net worth. The average American family now reports a net worth of nearly $1.1 million, according to the new Fed survey. That sounds like a lot of money. But the super-rich skew the average.

This rule is based on research finding that if you invested at least 50% of your money in stocks and the rest in bonds, you'd have a strong likelihood of being able to withdraw an inflation-adjusted 4% of your nest egg every year for 30 years (and possibly longer, depending on your investment return over that time).

The 4% rule suggests that a $1.5 million portfolio will provide for at least 30 years approximately $60,000 a year before taxes for you to live on in retirement. If you take more than this from your nest egg, it may run short; if you take less or your investments earn more, it may provide somewhat more income.

Americans have lofty goals for their retirement, with the typical worker believing they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably — a jump of 53% from their savings target in 2020, according to a new survey from Northwestern Mutual.

$300,000 can last for roughly 26 years if your average monthly spend is around $1,600. Social Security benefits help bolster your retirement income and make retiring on $300k even more accessible. It's often recommended to have 10-12 times your current income in savings by the time you retire.